Safety and long-term effectiveness of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation with a contact force-sensing catheter: real-world experience from a prospective, multicentre observational cohort registry.

Aims: Real-time contact force (CF)-sensing radiofrequency ablation catheter for treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) allows optimization of electrode-tissue contact, which correlates with long-term success. This prospective, multicentre observational registry assessed the real-world clinical effectiveness of a CF-sensing catheter for ablation of drug-refractory PAF.

Methods And Results: Patients were followed-up at 3, 6, and 12 months after ablation.

High density mapping of inappropriate sinus tachycardia further looks into potential mechanisms.

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) is an incompletely understood condition associating unexpectedly fast sinus rates and debilitating symptoms whose management by sinus node modification/ablation demonstrated limited long-term success. We report about a case of IST who underwent two RF procedures using high density mapping system, highlighting some possibly specific features and discussing potential mechanisms.

Clinical and genetic heterogeneity in familial steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome.

Background: Familial steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) is a rare condition. The disease pathophysiology remains elusive. However, bi-allelic mutations in the EMP2 gene were identified, and specific variations in HLA-DQA1 were linked to a high risk of developing the disease.

Clinical utility of circulating DNA analysis for rapid detection of actionable mutations to select metastatic colorectal patients for anti-EGFR treatment.

Background: While tumor-tissue remains the 'gold standard' for genetic analysis in cancer patients, it is challenged with the advent of circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis from blood samples. Here, we broaden our previous study on the clinical validation of plasma DNA in metastatic colorectal cancer patients, by evaluating its clinical utility under standard management care.

Patients And Methods: Concordance and data turnaround-time of ctDNA when compared with tumor-tissue analysis were studied in a real-time blinded prospective multicenter clinical study (n = 140 metastatic colorectal patients).

Circadian variability patterns predict and guide premature ventricular contraction ablation procedural inducibility and outcomes.

Background: Infrequent intraprocedural premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) may impede radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) outcome, and pharmacologic induction is unpredictable.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether PVC circadian variation could help predict drug response.

Methods: Consecutive patients referred for RFA with detailed Holter monitoring and frequent monomorphic PVCs were included.

Dose-Dependent Effects of AbobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport) on Spasticity and Active Movements in Adults With Upper Limb Spasticity: Secondary Analysis of a Phase 3 Study.

Background: AbobotulinumtoxinA has beneficial effects on spasticity and active movements in hemiparetic adults with upper limb spasticity (ULS). However, evidence-based information on optimal dosing for clinical use is limited.

Objective: To describe joint-specific dose effects of abobotulinumtoxinA in adults with ULS.

Shortening of the Short Refractory Periods in Short QT Syndrome.

Background: Diagnosis of short QT syndrome (SQTS) remains difficult in case of borderline QT values as often found in normal populations. Whether some shortening of refractory periods (RP) may help in differentiating SQTS from normal subjects is unknown.

Methods And Results: Atrial and right ventricular RP at the apex and right ventricular outflow tract as determined during standard electrophysiological study were compared between 16 SQTS patients (QTc 324±24 ms) and 15 controls with similar clinical characteristics (QTc 417±32 ms).

Prevalence of early repolarisation pattern in children.

Background: Prevalence of early repolarisation ECG pattern (ER) has been repetitively determined in adults, but has not been reported in large unselected children populations so far.

Methods: ECG from 1000 successive healthy children from birth to 17years old were prospectively recorded and analyzed. ER was defined by ≥0.

Ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death in tetralogy of Fallot.

Malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death may late happen in repaired tetralogy of Fallot, although probably less frequently than previously thought, especially with the advent of new surgical techniques/management. Ventricular tachycardias are caused by reentry around the surgical scars/patches and valves. Many predictive factors have been proposed, which suffer from poor accuracy.

Twenty-Four-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring to Predict and Assess Impact of Renal Denervation: The DENERHTN Study (Renal Denervation for Hypertension).

Unlabelled: The DENERHTN trial (Renal Denervation for Hypertension) confirmed the blood pressure (BP) lowering efficacy of renal denervation added to a standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment for resistant hypertension at 6 months. We report here the effect of denervation on 24-hour BP and its variability and look for parameters that predicted the BP response. Patients with resistant hypertension were randomly assigned to denervation plus stepped-care treatment or treatment alone (control).

Prevalence and long-term prognosis of patients with 'narrower than normal' QRS complexes.

Aims: Very narrow QRS have been reported in sudden death survivors but prevalence and prognosis role of narrow QRS is unknown.

Methods And Results: 546 healthy men between 50 and 60 years (group 1) and 373 similar patients with coronary artery disease (368 men, group 2) underwent signal averaged ECG (SA-ECG) allowing precise measurement of QRS duration. All cause-mortality was determined after 18 ± 3 years follow-up.

Assessment of cardiac resynchronisation therapy in patients with wide QRS and non-specific intraventricular conduction delay: rationale and design of the multicentre randomised NICD-CRT study.

Introduction: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) was initially developed to treat patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB). However, many patients with heart failure have a widened QRS but neither left-BBB nor right-BBB; this is called non-specific intraventricular conduction delay (NICD). It is unclear whether CRT is effective in this subgroup of patients.

Prognosis assessment of persistent left bundle branch block after TAVI by an electrophysiological and remote monitoring risk-adapted algorithm: rationale and design of the multicentre LBBB-TAVI Study.

Introduction: Percutaneous aortic valve replacement (transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)) notably increases the likelihood of the appearance of a complete left bundle branch block (LBBB) by direct lesion of the LBB of His. This block can lead to high-grade atrioventricular conduction disturbances responsible for a poorer prognosis. The management of this complication remains controversial.

Lactic acidosis: relationship between metformin levels, lactate concentration and mortality.

Aim: The role of metformin in lactic acidosis is regularly questioned. Arguments against a causal role for metformin in lactic acidosis occurrence are the lack of correlation between plasma metformin and lactate levels, as well as between metformin plasma levels and mortality. We aim to analyse these correlations in a large series of lactic acidosis cases recorded in the French nationwide pharmacovigilance database.

Histological long-term outcomes from acute antibody-mediated rejection following ABO-compatible liver transplantation.

Background And Aim: Acute antibody-mediated rejection (aAMR) is an unusual complication after orthotopic ABO-compatible liver transplantation. To date, the clinical and histological long-term outcomes after aAMR are not well known.

Method: Herein, we describe nine cases of aAMR that occurred in our liver-transplant center between 2008 and 2016, with an initial and reevaluation liver biopsy available for reexamination.

Sudden QRS morphology change during ventricular pacing in a scar-related isthmus What is the mechanism?

We present an example of sudden modification in QRS morphology during ventricular pacing inside a scar-related isthmus. This is explained by a "concealed" sudden block in both the orthodromic and antidromic wavefront directions, allowing then the activation to proceed through a now overt antidromic conduction.

Reversal of left ventricular dysfunction after ablation of premature ventricular contractions related parameters, paradoxes and exceptions to the rule.

Background: Suppression of frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) does not systematically lead to an expected reversal of PVC-induced cardiomyopathy and determinants of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery (reverse remodeling) after ablation remain largely unknown.

Methods: Ninety-six consecutive patients with a suspicion of PVC induced-cardiomyopathy were retrospectively included. Parameters potentially related to reverse remodeling (>10% increase in LVEF) were analyzed in patients w/wo long-term success (decrease in PVC burden >80%).

Mechanically Isolated Stromal Vascular Fraction Provides a Valid and Useful Collagenase-Free Alternative Technique: A Comparative Study.

Background: The use of stromal vascular fraction and adipose-derived stromal cells in tissue regeneration is now being increasingly investigated, and studies have demonstrated that adipose-derived stromal cells present differentiation and immunomodulatory capacities. The development of a rapid, inexpensive, and enzyme-free technique to isolate adipose-derived stromal cell-enriched stromal vascular fraction is a major goal for stem cell therapy. Therefore, the authors compared innovative mechanical procedures to the gold standard technique, collagenase digestion.

Spotlight on idarucizumab and its potential for the reversal of anticoagulant effects of dabigatran.

Idarucizumab is the first targeted antidote of dabigatran, a direct oral anticoagulant used for prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism and prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation. Idarucizumab is a humanized fragment of a monoclonal antibody, which binds dabigatran reversibly with high affinity and, when administered intravenously, immediately neutralizes its anticoagulant effect. It is rapidly cleared by the kidney with captured dabigatran.

Switching between thienopyridines in patients with acute myocardial infarction and quality of care.

Objective: In acute coronary syndromes, switching between thienopyridines is frequent. The aims of the study were to assess the association between switching practices and quality of care.

Methods: Registry study performed in 213 French public university, public non-academic and private hospitals.

The use of the Cre8 Stent in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus.

Despite improved clinical outcomes following the availability of second-generation drug eluting stents (DES), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with worse clinical and angiographic outcomes among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) than among non-diabetics. The Cre8™ Amphilimus-eluting DES is polymer-free, resulting in a reduced inflammatory response and lower risk of stent thrombosis. It showed equivalent efficacy and safety in diabetic and non-diabetic populations, a unique finding among DES studies.